


I Promise Not To Try (Not To Let You Down)

by HybridOwl



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 21:52:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13533273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HybridOwl/pseuds/HybridOwl
Summary: Dwalin has a thing for Nori. He's pretty annoyed about it.The quest doesn't take away those pesky feelings, but it might bring something even better.





	I Promise Not To Try (Not To Let You Down)

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is definitely the start of a series, though likely most of it will be different povs of this same story; something for fili/ori, something for balin/dori, something for bilbo/thorin, and something from Nori's pov. But those are all a long way off, so I hope you enjoyed this little offering.

 

Perhaps the thing Dwalin found the most annoying about Nori's blatant dishonorable character was that he was very open about it. He didn't hide his Lawmarks, nicked things in full view of others (useless trinkets; what in the world was he going to do with one of Master Baggins doilies?), and reveled in telling tales of his exploits whenever prompted.

 

As one of the guards previously charged with catching people like Nori, and even Nori himself on more than one occasion, Dwalin was not impressed as the princes were, hanging onto the words like it were words from Mahals own mouth.

 

Damn thief.

 

Thorin said he let it get to him too much, and perhaps he did, but.

 

It would help a bit, Dwalin supposed, if Nori wasn't so very attractive.

 

that had always been a point of frustration for Dwalin, from that first meeting where Nori had kissed him full on the mouth to distract him enough to get away, grinning like mischief incarnate as he did.

 

It had been a failure that stuck with Dwalin for a long time, getting duped like that by a pretty face. But Mahal bless, it certainly was pretty, too damned pretty.

 

Dwalin scowled out over the company, doing a headcount to distract himself. Gandalf was off to one side, doing Mahal knows what. The princes shoving each other back and forth good naturedly. Bifur carving, Bombur cooking, and Bofur playing a little flute to one side. Balin making notes on his travel desk, Gloin counting coins while Oin inventoried his supplies. Thorin was overlooking the company much the way Dwalin was, though his eyes seemed to have gotten stuck on the Halfling, who was mending a tear in his waistcoat. Dori was fussing over Ori's hair, which left...

 

"Your face will freeze like that, master Dwalin."

 

 Nori.

 

Dwalin's scowl deepened.

 

"Thief." he said by way of greeting.

 

"Pardoned." Nori said in two note sing song. It wasn't the first time they'd had this exchange, nor would it likely be their last. "Now, what is it that you are doing, guardsmen?"

 

Dwalin shifted his bulk on the tree which he was leaning, moving just a bit further from the thief. Nori always seemed so damn close these days, no iron bars or shackles between them anymore.

 

"That is none of your business." Dwalin growled, and Nori laughed his bedamned perfect laugh.

 

"Always so sociable. Well, I'll see you around, Dwalin." Nori said, and went off to see his brothers.

 

"That's master Dwalin to you." Dwalin grumbled under his breath.

 

Damn thief.

 

-oooooo-

 

Being beset by trolls could have gone better, really. Thorin had grumbled to him as he passed about the foolishness of nephews and Hobbits, and Dwalin was inclined to agree. Fili was helping Ori find his clothes, and Balin helping Dori find his. Both sets eyes were soft towards each other, and Dwalin hoped he wouldn't have to deal with the whole company pairing up before the quest was done, because no matter what Thorin may say, his eyes continued to linger on the Halfling more often than not. He could at least count on Bombur, Gloin, Bifur, and himself not to fall to such foolishness, the first two married quite happily, Bifur a known solitary.

 

Maybe Nori would pair off with Bofur, the two seemed close enough. Dwalin ignored the pang of jealousy at the thought.

 

Speaking of the thief, he had found his clothes, but was taking his sweet time getting into them, slowly buttoning his pants and then stretching languidly, upper body beautifully taut... before looking over and winking at Dwalin.

 

He would deny his blush until his dying day.

 

-oooooo-

 

Things went downhill when they reach Rivendell, which made sense, given that it was a den of elves and that always meant trouble.

 

 

They were, all of them, bathing in the open air baths, and Dwalin was leaning against the side, relaxed. The others were occupied when he scanned over them, except.

 

"You seem pretty lonely over here, guardsman." Nori said casually, sitting down next to him. How in all the seven clans did he manage to sneak up on Dwalin in the water? It didn't make any sense.

 

"I am not, thief." Dwalin answered.

 

"Pardoned." Nori corrected, smiling misceviously. Dwalin did not like that smile.

 

"What are you planning? Whatever it is you intend to do, thief-"

 

"Who." Nori corrected, throwing Dwalin off.

 

"Who?" Dwalin grunted in question. Nori nodded.

 

"It isn't what I intend to do, it's who." That surprised dwalin into silence, and Nori smiled like the cat that got the cream.

"Well, let me know if you want help getting sweaty and dirty again. I'll be in the third room from the right from our little camp, if you want to join me." Nori said over his shoulder as he walked away.

 

Dwalin scowled. He wouldn't do it. It was the dumbest thing in the world, falling in with Nori. He wouldn't.

 

That night, rolling back into his own bedroll, Dwalin stared up at the ceiling.

 

He had lain with Nori. Nori, the thief.

 

And Mahal, it had been _good_. Everything clever and sly about the dwarf coming out in those moments, experienced in a way Dwalin had never had a chance to be.

 

But it was not going to happen again. That he was sure of. He had just needed it out of his system.

 

-oooooo-

 

It happened again.

 

It had actually happened three separate times before they reach Beorns, Nori having an uncanny knack for finding gaps in the watch and signaling for Dwalin to follow. And Mahal curse him, he always followed. Each time was hurried, trying to get to each other before their absence was missed, desperate for each other's skin, except the last one. That last time, just climbed down from Carrock as Gandalf had called it, they had even lain together for a length of time after, limbs intertwined, staring at the stars. Dwalin couldn't recall ever being so content, even out here in the wilds.

 

And then Nori had tipped to one side and kissed Dwalin.

 

They had kissed before, almost exclusively leading up to sex or signaling round two was about to happen. But this one was different, still fierce and sly like everything about Nori, but there was something there Dwalin couldn't place. When Nori pulled back, Dwalin saw his eyes go through a storm of emotions, each warring with the others. But they were all there on display, hope, fear, longing. All pointed at Dwalin, and for a moment Dwalin couldn't breathe with the weight of it.

 

"I hate wargs." Nori said, voice cracking a little, and was off like a shot back to camp, leaving Dwalin to muddle through what that could possibly mean.

 

After that had happened, Nori had turned stand offish, sharp tongued. When Dwalin cautiously approached him about what exactly Dwalin had done to piss him off, Nori turned prickly as a herd of porcupine, and Dwalin had quickly backed off.

 

Now at Beorns, with Nori still like that, Dwalin was starting to get pissed.

 

He ended up cornering Nori around the side of the house, backing him up against the giant bunny hutches.

 

"You'll be telling me what made you so angry at me, now." Dwalin growled, and Nori, cornered, showed all his teeth in a smile that was nothing like friendly.

 

"Is that so, guardsmen? Maybe I should kiss you senseless and leave you with your pants around your ankles while I leave then. Worked for me before. Did your fellow officers ever stop mocking you for that?" Nori said viciously, shoving back against Dwalin.

 

Dwalin didn't budge, nor did he fall for the bait.

 

"Tell me. I've got all day." and indeed, Dwalin did. He had hinted to Thorin he had needed some time with Nori, and their esteemed leader gathered everyone else up, supposedly to better train Bilbo with his swordplay. He could keep Nori all the way until supper without anyone noticing a damn thing.

 

Fury glinted in Nori's eyes, and Dwalin felt something sharp press into his side.

 

"Move. Now." Nori ordered, twisting the knife slightly to emphasize his threat. Dwalin raised an eyebrow, and only crowded closer.

 

"You want to know what I think?" Dwalin mused, crowding closer, ignoring the nick on his side from the knife.

 

"Oh, do tell." Nori said sarcastically, false confidence not hiding the caged animal look in his eyes.

 

"I think you want me. Not just for a tumble," he interrupted as Nori opened his mouth to interrupt, "but something honest and steady. And that terrifies you."

 

"You don't know a thing about me." Nori said, his voice breaking on it. When Dwalin said nothing though, hope beginning to build in him, Nori crumbled. "I can't. I- this was supposed to be just me getting it out of my system, not- I can't do that with you. I don't have it in me."

 

"We can try." Dwalin offered, and Mahal, what was he doing? His voice was just this side of pleading, but now that he knew what was between them, he _wanted_.

 

But Nori was shaking his head, over and over, eyes closed, body shaking. Dwalin wanted to hold him until it passed, shake him until he saw sense, but what was he supposed to do when he was the one causing the trouble? Maybe it had been better when they were just guardsmen and thief.

 

So Dwalin let him go.

 

-oooooo-

 

The others kept exchanging looks between himself and Nori, Thorin most of all, but there were more pressing concerns. Like a forest trying to eat them. Then being kidnapped by blasted elves (why did it have to be elves?).

 

In the dungeons, there was not much else to do besides hammer at the bars and think of Nori, and so he did his best to focus on hammering the bars as often as possible. But he had dreams of their possible life together, woke up with tears in his eyes that he was glad no one was around to see.

 

Finally the barrels out of Mirkwood, and being covered in fish and coming into the house through the bloody toilet.

 

He still shuddered to think about it. His eyes fell on Nori like they still sometimes did, huddled with his brothers, laughing at something one of the Men at the party had said. Dwalin felt jealousy twist in his gut, and left to the balcony, looking out onto the mountain.

 

"It would be wise, old friend, if you just talked to him." Thorin said, settling beside Dwalin on the railing. "After all, there is a dragon at the end of our road, and there is no telling who may fall."

 

"I would tell you the same thing." Dwalin retorted, without any heat.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about." Thorin said, and Dwalin snorted.

 

"Do you not now." Dwalin said. Thorin and Bilbo had been dancing around each other since Carrock, never quite saying anything and pulling back into the safety of friendly behavior just before the other could be assured of their regard. Even Fili had gotten his act together and asked for Ori to wait for him until the mountain was reclaimed, when he had something to offer. Balin and Dori had not bothered; they both seemed to think they were old enough they didn't have to keep themselves from what they wanted, and Thorin himself had read them their vows. If only Dwalin and Thorin could bring themselves to do the same.

 

Dwalin rubbed a hand across his face. Mahal, he was tired.

 

"Well, I'm going to go to bed. Best go back in their yourself before someone notices your burglar and sweeps him away from you." Dwalin said, turning to leave.

 

"And what of your thief?" Thorin asked.

 

"He was never mine to begin with." said Dwalin with finality, and left.

 

-oooooo-

 

The dragon happens, then the dragon falling upon Laketown. When Nori pulls him down a side corridor, he's shaking, still crying from the loss of his friend Bofur. Dwalin kisses him, holds him, and tries not to think.

 

It doesn't happen again after that, everyone bent on finding the Arkenstone as Thorin gets sicker and sicker, and Dwalin can't do a damn thing, not one.

 

When he tells Thorin he was always his king, it's the truth.

 

When he seeks out Nori after that, shaking himself from the loss of his own friend, Nori doesn't turn him away.

 

-oooooo-

 

the battle seems like it goes on forever and for no time at all, and it isn't until after that he finds out that Nori had used himself as a shield for one of the princes, as Bilbo had done for Thorin. When Dwalin goes to find him in the healers tent, one of Nori's beautiful eyes is covered, and his arm and leg lay in a sling, but he's alive. They all are, somehow.

 

Dwalin allows himself to fall to the ground next to Nori's bedside, allows himself that show of weakness.

 

"I had thought I lost you." Dwalin admits into the bed cloth. Warm fingers card through Dwalins matted hair.

 

"Never." Came the quiet reply, and when Dwalin looks up Nori, looking nervous.

 

"We could- that is, if you don't mind a thief for a partner-"

 

"Pardoned." Dwalin said absently; hope bubbling in him as Nori continued.

 

"Well, yes. But I'll always be a thief at heart. It'll be hard for me to settle into a normal life, even, especially now. But if you still want me, I still-" Nori broke off, unable to finish. But Dwalin, who wasn't himself one for words, understood well enough. When they kissed, they were both smiling.

 

-oooooo-

 

"I look Dori." Nori complained, pulling at his fussy clothes. he had been complaining all through the process of preparing for Fili and Ori's wedding, from being forced to put an input on the decorations to the cake flavor to literally anything else, just because he had objected to Fili sweeping away his little brother. Nori thought he was being punished, and Dwalin was more than a little inclined to agree.

 

"You are brothers." Dwalin pointed out. Nori scowled at him. Dwalin had made off much lighter on the fancy clothes department, which made sense; Nori had been appointed diplomat, while Dwalin was but a lowly Kings guard. Head of the kings guard, but still.

 

"I'm going to make you pay for your cheek later." Nori warned him, but a smile was coming on.

 

"Oh, I look forward to it." Dwalin allowed, and kissed Nori, their engagement beads tinkling together. Dwalin was glad he and Nori could look forward to a quieter celebration than Ori and Fili had managed, and he wondered how Bilbo would take the whole big to do that his royal wedding was going to be, when Thorin and he finally got their heads out of their behinds.

 

Probably deck the mountain out in flowers, odd little thing.

 

"Promise me we won't be like those overly romantic royals when we get married." Dwalin asked, bumping shoulders with Nori as they walked out. Nori grinned at him, meeting his eye.

 

"I promise." Nori lied.


End file.
